My prediction about today’s Supreme Court decision was wildly off the mark, but I’m thrilled with the final result. We’re still trying to parse the Court’s ruling on the Medicaid expansion and what it means for Minnesota. The Court treats the expansion as an entirely new program that exists separately from Medicaid: Original Flavor. Frankly, it’s a weird result and the reasoning seems shaky at best. I don’t think any legal scholar can articulate how the Court will distinguish between a non-coercive expansion of an existing program and the creation of a new program that is independent of the parent program. But, whatever. Most, if not all, will likely participate in the expansion because of the big carrot the federal government is offering in the form of federal funding.
So, a busy summer lies ahead for me. And in a couple months, I can start worrying about the fall election. My professional life is a series of cliffhangers.
